God(ess) of New Beginnings, in anticipation of 2014

January is named for the Roman God Janus: double-headed, god of transitions, new beginnings, doorways. As we teeter precariously, ready to plunge into another year, he may watch over our first steps.

Or he may not: having seen thousands of new years it’s probably all pretty mundane stuff to a Roman God and I don’t imagine he gives a Monkey’s how many new-year’s resolutions we break on January 2nd.

Medusa as Janus – etching print

No, the title is not a typo, but this etching print – the next one in my series for the 2014 calendar – is appropriately timed for once. A lurgy – early Christmas present from the Nieces and Nephews – prevented me from posting this one when I printed it, in the week before Christmas, so this brings the blog up to date on recent etchings. And of course this is not exactly Janus, because the calendar is a series of portraits of Medusa. So, Medusa, as Janus. And I added the extra arms because the composition was better. So… Medusa, as Janus… with a hint of Shiva. Mixed-up girl, really.

[…] you Lily! ) Beltaine seemed an excellent idea, and another mixing of legends / metaphors like the January picture. The scant research I did suggested the dancing around bonfires, the belief that on this night the […]